Regina Saskatchewan. Either the 19th or 20th January 1946.
Orme and I arrived in Regina in the late afternoon after being given a ride by Judge Forbes, father of Capt Murray Forbes who was our acting battery commander on the trip home from England. We requested to be dropped off near a Saskatchewan Liquor store. Thanking Judge Forbes and saluting Capt. Forbes, and wishing him farewell, Orme and I complete with packs were on the snowy icy street in Regina. Well the next step was almost fatal as I went to enter the liquor store and my steel shod boot slipped on the icy sidewalk and my head, hind end, and heels all struck the pavement with a terrific whack! Stars floated for a moment, but up I stood and seemed not too bad off. Then I slipped and fell again. Not a good start for someone who survived the war to almost crack his skull first day of his home coming.
About this time I/Sgt Elmer Applegren had missed the battery draft in England but came home same time as we had. Elmer was on the same mission that we were, to buy a Saskatchewan Mickey [40 ounce bottle of whisky ]. I will now add this was the last time I ever saw Elmer. He had joined with us and served the whole time and had the regimental #L35062. He was an original member of the 60th Bty as Orme and I were.
After two falls I entered the liquor storeand we made our purchases. The next step was to phone Edith, and R.J. Wood who we were pleased to hear said get a taxi and come and stay with us which we did.
I will explain who these good folk were. R. J. Wood was Orme's and my school teacher before the war and he was instrumental in Orme and I and Elmer Applegren and John Wiebe joining the 60th Bty as a militia unit. R.J. Wood was our attestation officer when we joined active service. R.J. Wood was a 2nd Lt in July 1940 but rose to the rank of major and was second in command of the artillery holding unit Camp Borden England. R.J. Wood became a 2/Lt in July 1940 on active service with 60th Bty RCA, and he rose in rank to Captain and was a troop commander. Capt. Wood was an excellent officer both in appearance and his knowledge of gunnery. He was a superb fall of shot observer and it looked like he had a great career ahead of him.
Tragedy struck on the 22 May 1942! While riding a motorcycle, checking regimental road discipline, his motor cycle crashed into a bus or lorry. Near death for some time, this man was pretty tough and survived the crash losing an eye and some terrific facial injury. He would have been slated to be sent home but he had signed up for the long haul and an accident like this was not to send him home. He was, in time, promoted to major and served under Colonel Townsley at the artillery holding unit Camp Borden England until war's end.
We had a warm welcome from Edith Wood as we arrived on her door step. Edith Wood always thought of Orme and I as the kids and now we are in our eighties she acknowledges that maybe we are no longer kids and she only a year or two older. Edith Wood knew Orme and I from the time we were little boys and more than likely her aunt was the midwife when we were born. Now as part of my memoirs this is something that should remain. Regina Saskatchewan looked cold but the prairie welcome from The Wood family was the greatest..........
We were almost HOME!!
